Never Let You Die

10. Company

Natasha's POV

It's been quite a while since the last time I wore a nice dress.

Bruce invited me over to a restaurant; it's been a few weeks already since our endgame battle. A lot went on, as same as nothing went on at the same time. Although everything fell back into place once again, nothing made sense to me.

This feeling, like my soul actually remained in Vormir, it was overwhelming. I felt like I was actually dead, that my sacrifice was never interrupted, and it was just my soulless body lurking the grounds of this present time. And I knew exactly why I felt like this.

Carol left me.

Well, not technically, since she wasn't really bound to me; but she left. Leaving a hole inside my heart. No goodbyes, no silly smiles, no lingering gaze, no acknowledging nods, not a wave, not a thing... just... left, as if she had become dust along Thanos.

But I knew she didn't, because I had saw her. I saw her win, beaten, but victorious. And she was sitting right next to Tony when everything happened.

My plan had been clear, to run into her arms and return her feelings. I was dying to melt into her, our lips finally connecting, making our hearts become one.

That wasn't the case, though. I never thought Bruce would ruin this for me. And me? how stupid was I. To be so eager to kiss Carol, that I confused the moment that Bruce took away from us.

It was the most stupid mistake I ever committed in my life, and it cost me the love of my life. Carol had seen my stupidity, and that's what shooed her away. I didn't even see her before she blasted into space.

Only the trace of her glow was the last of her I could see, like a shooting star in the sky.

"I'm so glad to be here with you, Nat." Bruce took a seat right across from me on the fancy restaurant table, "You look beautiful."

Plain old Bruce. Human Bruce. His old dorky face, the same one that hated violence. His limp arm trapped in a cast.

He wanted to play hero, so that will leave him with a limp arm, how stupid. Carol's voice resonated in my head. My lips twirling slightly in a smile.

She really was bothered by him for some reason. Well, I guess that reason was clear to me now.

I regained my composure before he'd think I was smiling at him, and remembered myself the reason I was here, "You're late." My voice portrayed what I truly felt towards him, indifference and coldness. I tried not to be so obvious, but it was useless.

I had come so early that I had already ordered a bottle of wine, and I took a sip from my glass just to distract me from slapping him across his annoying face.

My eagerness to come here today was too much. Obviously not that I was crazy to meet him. I don't even know what I was truly expecting. An explanation, maybe closure... his help to find this particular shooting star of mine.

"Sorry," he shrugged, "Just for like three minutes, I couldn't find my glasses." He pointed at his eyes, he wasn't wearing them.

A waiter came to welcome him and serve him wine, and just left right after. The waiter knew not to bother us a lot, I had given him a generous tip to just serve wine. No food. I wouldn't be here for too long.

"Were you eager to see me?" A smug smile spread across his face.

He hd been trying to get in contact with me everyday, no luck until now. Which left me confuse at his question. He should know: I was not eager at all. But I guess that merging with the Hulk could have giving him some sort of cockiness. Regular Bruce wasn't so confidence of himself.